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⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ INSIDE HEALTH AND WELLBEING
PHARMACY R FIRST
NOW LIVE Bryan Turner MRPharmS
eaders may have noticed the huge number of articles in the press and on TV about the launch of a new service “Pharmacy First”, which went live on Jan 31st. The service will offer a new way to access care for seven conditions which up until now have usually been dealt with by the patient requesting an appointment at their surgery. The seven illnesses included in the scheme are; • Uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women • Earache • Sinusitis • Sore throat • Infected insect bites • Shingles • Impetigo As someone who has been practicing Pharmacy across West Sussex for 40 years, I can say that I have seen all of these many times and recommended a visit to the Doctor, which inevitably causes a delay in access to treatment. If every Pharmacy were to carry out just one consultation each day, then around four million Dr’s appointments would be freed up annually. One professional body, “The Company Chemist’s Association”, has suggested that when the service has matured that no less than 30 million consultations could be diverted from GPs to Pharmacies each year. You can be referred into a Pharmacy by NHS 111, you may be referred by your GP or you can just attend and ask to be seen.
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It needs to be stressed that the Pharmacist will not be able to hand out prescription only medicines, for example antibiotics, on demand. There is a protocol for each of the conditions. The Pharmacist will be guided by the protocol, and may decide that you do not need a prescription and will suggest ways to self manage the problem. Equally, if the Pharmacist feels that the condition is more serious or complicated they will recommend an urgent same day appointment at your GP or even send you to A & E. Only when it is clinically appropriate will the Pharmacist issue a prescription. If you normally have to pay for your prescriptions, the usual charge will apply. The urinary tract infection (UTI) service is restricted to women between 16 and 65 years old. Although men can also get a UTI, the plumbing is different and the infection may be an indicator of something more serious. Older and younger females will also be referred to the GP. For cases of shingles the Pharmacy First service will be particularly useful. Anti-viral medicines work best when taken soonest, so having quick access via Pharmacy will be beneficial. For impetigo and infected insect bites, Pharmacists will see all adults and children over 1 year, I am sure that will be a great relief to parents. Patients with sore throats can be seen from the age of 5 years. Sore throats normally clear up in time without treatment, but in severe cases Pharmacists may be able to prescribe an antibiotic. Pharmacists are mindful of the need to avoid overuse of antibiotics to avoid resistance developing, so the supply of antibiotics under the scheme is controlled. Pharmacies have to sign up to the scheme, and the great majority have already done so. They have undertaken a considerable amount of training in order to deliver the service. Some training, for example, how to safely and effectively carry out ear examinations, is still ongoing but will be completed, probably in March. So some elements of the service may not be available just yet. In the first 3 days of Pharmacy First, 3,000 consultations were carried out and that number will to grow as patients and Pharmacists become confident in the program.